I was surprised at how quickly they are destroyed when used for trailsingle track use. I now keep an extra pair in the car. Fellow I ride with, wrecked his in 2 weeks to the point were he could barely get his foot back into the pedals. All in all they work fine while they are in good shape.
I bought a pair of Eggbeater 3's (along with an extra set of cleats and the stainless steel shims) after getting frustrated with how poorly my Speedplay Zeros perform when it's snowy.
Crank Brothers chose brass for the cleats so they'll wear out before the pedal contact points do. Which is a great idea since the cleats are much less expensive to replace (especially compared to Speedplay). I can't speak to the lifespan yet since I'm still on my original pair, but I'm guessing mine'll be toast after the winter due to the salt and sand on the streets. Not a big deal, friction happens.
I'd give these 5 stars for value if there was some sort of recycling program - send in your worn out cleats for $5 credit towards your next pair or something like that. Most reviews say these wear out quickly, so it'd be nice if there was something to do with all the used ones.
These cleats do what they are supposed to, bolt to your shoes and work with Crank Bros cleats. It is a very good product that works the way it is supposed to work. Don't worry about anything with these cleats. The gold finish is cool and the bolts are good quality.
Needed cleats for my new winter cycling shoes. Not interested in swapping cleats since we have temperature swings from 20F to 65F and back a few times a week.
I replace my cleats about once a year. As soon as I pop those new cleats on, I get a feeling of stability, power, safety and enhanced performance. Love my Crank Bros pedals and cleats! I've used other brands and they don't last as long or perform as well. Also, BikeTiresDirect.com is great! They give me rewards for buying things; plus, they offer great prices, easy purchasing, and a huge selection of stuff I need.
These aren't so premium because they take minutes off your TT or anything... they're premium because they allow you make a small lateral movement of your cleat if center-neutral doesn't work for you. I got some for my bulky winter boots that otherwise would lightly rub my cranks. Problem solved. Additionally, they span the breadth of the slots in an SPD shoe so that your platform is wider than with the ultra-narrow 'race' cleats that come stock with the new Eggbeaters, which place all your weight on just the center bridge of the outsole that exists between the slots. I've heard reports that these engage the new eggbeater pedal slightly less easily than the race cleat, but haven't experienced any problem myself.
This is an excellent product, once you learn how to twist out no matter how you stop they keep your shoes on the crank through all types of conditions. It can be if-ie to lock in, so it is important to keep your shoes just before the heal to keep from slipping if you miss a lock taking off. Usually this is not a problem, but if you've stopped up hill it takes some practice to get it right, and a bump or wiggle can keep that from happening. This effect is worse when the cleats are new, they must get broken in before locking-in gets easy. I have thought about burnishing the cleat effect to ease this process, but I always ride first giving the extra effort to twisting and pushpulling to get a lock. They will last about a year or two until a hard push unlocks causing the foot to slip. Get a new pair and start again
